'Markets shrugged off the triggering of Article 50'

LONDON — The FTSE 100 ended Wednesday higher, having spent the session stuck in a tight range of around 50 points.

London's leading index of shares opened slightly higher on Wednesday morning, ahead of the official start of Brexit negotiations later in the day. Article 50 was triggered at 12.30 p.m. BST (8.30 a.m. ET).

However, the FTSE 100 began slipping at midday, hitting a low point around 20 minutes after Article 50 was triggered.

When the world failed to collapse, stocks began to pick up in the afternoon. London's index of leading shares closed up 0.41%, or 30.08 points, at 7,373.50. Here's how the day looked: Investing.com Neil Wilson, a senior market analyst at ETX Capital, says in an email: "The countdown to Brexit has begun but by and large markets shrugged off the triggering of Article 50. Stocks and the pound took the momentous decision in their stride - largely as expected as Brexit was already priced in.

"We might have expected a touch more volatility as the UK delivered the letter but markets were pretty calm. They may not stay that way."

Australian miner BHP Billiton also got a boost from the weak pound, closing up 2.7%. The pound fell on Wednesday after the triggering of Article 50. This boosted the FTSE 100, as many companies listed on it have their earnings in dollars.